Joseph Brown

Date Approved

2025

Degree Type

Open Access Senior Honors Thesis

Department or School

Psychology

First Advisor

Rusty McIntyre, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Natalie Dove, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Ann R. Eisenberg, Ph.D.

Abstract

Firearm incidents, a leading cause of death among youth aged 12-17 (CDC, 2023), present a complex issue requiring urgent attention. While prior psychological research has examined the weapons effect and related phenomena, further investigation is needed to understand the breadth of issues related to concerns with firearms usage, and specifically implications for mental health discourse (Berkowitz & Lepage, 1967; Metzl et al., 2021). In a sample (n = 55) of college students, this study investigates the effects of imagined gun ownership and exposure to a firearm and psychopathology on fear of crime and victimization. Participants were recruited in person and completed an online Qualtrics™ survey measuring psychological adjustment, temperament, personality trait endorsement, and gun attitudes, as well as participant demographics. Participants are randomly assigned to view and interact with either a firearm (experimental group) or a pickleball racquet (control group). Anxiety, hostile automatic thoughts, and firearm attitudes are assessed, alongside personal experience with firearm ownership and ratings on various outcomes. Regression analyses examined the interaction between prior firearm exposure (no ownership vs. ownership) and psychopathology (lower score vs. higher score), and indicated a moderate negative relationship between endorsed ownership and psychopathology. ANOVA analyses between the firearm and pickleball racquet groups did not reveal any significant differences in fears of crime and victimization, and additional analyses did not show any group differences on anxiety or hostile cognition endorsement post-manipulation. Results of this study extend the line of research on the weapons effect and contribute to the discourse on the fear-guns link. These findings, with continued research, could inform interventions aimed at reducing fear-based motivations for firearm ownership.

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